Approaching the gate, Echo passed Edward her cloak to hide, but he found that to be quite suspicious and came up with another idea.

“No need for it. I’ll just hide in your pocket.”

Both girls and even Minx turned to look at him with suspicion, prompting Edward to pull out his coin. Inserting his mana inside, he was covered in a mass of water before a large part of the water got absorbed into the coin and all that was left was a palm-sized Edward on the sand below.

Violet was about to bend down and pick him up, but Echo was faster, immediately sweeping Edward off his feet.

“Hey, be careful. I’m just as fragile as I look.”, yelled Edward, but his squeaky voice only made him more adorable.

Echo giggled and turned towards Violet. “Can I hold him until we get inside? He’s so cute.”

Violet looked at Edward’s distraught expression with a hesitant look before saying: “Only until we pass the gate. I’ll hold him after.”

Echo was about to nod when a small roar came from the side and attracted both girls’ attention.

Edward looked between the three devils and said: “I’m a human, you know…”

The girls started chuckling and walked towards the entrance, ignoring his plight as they talked about their Edward distribution. After being put inside Echo’s clothes, he could only sigh and sit down.

He heard the guards checking Echo, Violet, and Minx before letting them enter and telling them to head home soon. The girls agreed and a warm hand entered his pocket, picking him up.

Violet smiled at him before placing him into her chest since she didn’t have pockets. The warm and comfortable feeling made Edward forget about his troubles as he enjoyed his time there until they reached Violet’s place.

After entering a normal-sized mud house, Edward poked his head out of heaven and jumped out. Releasing the coin, he return to normal swiftly and covered himself before turning towards Violet.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Violet already had a pair of pants in her hand.

“I knew you will need them, so I bought some clothes earlier.”

Edward smiled and thanked her before getting dressed and sitting down on a relatively hard bed. Frowning, he asked: “How can you sleep on this every night?”

Violet looked at Minx and said: “I don’t.”

“Oh.” Changing the subject, he turned towards Echo and said: “You told me in your note that something is going on in the city. I also heard the guards mention it. What is it?”

Echo sat down as well, her body supported against the wall, as she said: “Well, all the beast tamers are on standby to help since there have been incidents with blood bats raiding the city. They are incredibly agile and attack mostly at night. With Minx’s strength, her help was also requested.”

“There’s also the fact that you are still wanted, so it would have been troublesome to make contact in the city.”

For some reason, Edward felt relieved to hear that. Pulling Violet into his arms, he moved his hands around her waist and said: “I missed you. Sorry for leaving you alone for so long.”

Violet covered his hands using hers and smiled as she turned her head to the side and pecked his lips: “I missed you too, and don’t worry too much about it. I have Echo and Minx to spend time with. Also, being in a new city was quite exciting. Have you gone by the inn in Ashes?”

“Yes, briefly…” Edward told all three of them what he had gone through ever since he separated from Minx and Violet.

Violet and Minx were still relatively okay since they knew much more about his abilities, but Echo’s expression was becoming more comical by the second. By the end of the story, she was completely stunned.

Looking at Edward’s face, a trace of sadness appeared in her eyes as she said: “I can’t believe you are the same weak kid that came to join our party not that long ago…”

“Well, I wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help.” Replied Edward with a smile.

Echo sighed and said: “I somehow got the feeling you would have. I wonder what Ingvar and Kara are doing?…”

Edward turned to look at Violet and spotted her shaking his head. Looking back at Echo, Edward sighed and asked: “Do you know about their origin?”

“Origin? Something else other than the adventurer guild’s master children?” asked Echo back with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, yeah…” Edward told her about Kara and Ingvar’s background as well, as much as he knew himself.

Sighing, Echo smiled self-mockingly and said: “I guess everyone had secrets in that party except me… I can’t believe they never told me…”

“I really can’t speak about their circumstances.”, said Edward with a sigh, “but I’m pretty sure they didn’t want to keep it a secret either.”

“Well, I guess I can only wait until we meet again to ask them…”

Violet eventually fell asleep in Edward’s arms, but the rest just chatted until late morning. After Echo said she had some things to take care of and left, Edward said to Violet: “Do you think you can take me to see the guild leader today?”

Violet pondered for a moment before nodding. “I’ll see what I can do. If I tell him I have some information on the blood bats, he should agree to a meeting.”

They quickly got ready and Violet put Edward on her chest again before walking out and riding on Minx’s back. Edward poked his head out and noticed how Violet was rushing through the middle of the road and all the other people were moving to the side to let her pass.

“They really like their beast tamers here, don’t they?”

Violet’s ears trembled as she heard his question and replied: “Indeed. They even like demi-humans. Compared to the City of Ashes, this could be called a demi-human paradise.”

“Do you want to stay here?” asked Edward, happy to see she liked it here.

Violet shook her head and said: “I would like to, but I still miss my inn and the city I lived most of my life in. Most humans are indeed quite rude to us there, but it’s still my home.”

Edward couldn’t relate to her feelings, not having much love for Earth, his actual home, but could understand her to a certain degree.

“If you want to, you can return there after we’re done here. Sorry for taking you away from your home for so long.”

Violet brought one hand to her chest and said:” You are my home too. I don’t mind leaving the City of Ashes forever if it means I get to spend that forever with you.”

Edward smiled and didn’t reply, finding the words to do so proving quite difficult.

They continued on their journey for quite a while since Minx couldn’t run in the city, before eventually reaching a large complex of buildings. Violet rode Minx straight to the gate.

The guards bowed and let her pass without asking a single thing. Edward watched as she ran through a large inner courtyard filled with people and their beasts.

“What is this?” asked Edward.

“Main building of the beast hall. How they call the guild here. There are more of them, split around the city, since this place couldn’t hope to contain all the beast tamers in the city, but this is the one where the leader stays. I’m also registered here.”

“No wonder I couldn’t find you in that small one…”, muttered Edward.

Minx reached a large building at the center, and Violet jumped down. Minx also reverted to her human form, and they both walked inside. After passing through the crowded place, Violet came in front of a desk there.

“Miss Violet, miss Minx, how can I help you?” asked the employee there, apparently already familiar with the girls.

“Hey Clara, is the leader inside? I have some information I can only tell him in private and would like to request a meeting. It’s about the blood bats.”

Clara nodded and stood up. “He’s in. Let me check if he’s busy.”

Violet took a seat there with Minx and waited for about ten minutes until the clerk returned.

“The leader is waiting for you.”

Violet thanked the clerk and walked with Minx up a flight of stairs. Passing through a long corridor, they reached a tall door and knocked on it gently.

“Enter.”

After stepping inside, Edward peeked out again and was stunned at the bull of a man sitting behind the desk. He seemed to be literally a bull demi-human, with long curved horns and a strong muscular build.

Violet and Minx bowed slightly and said at the same time: “Leader.”

The leader let go of a stamp he was using and looked up. He moved his eyes over the girls before frowning and tilting his head.

“Violet, did you tame a fly or something?”

Violet looked up, confused, as she traced the leader’s eyes on her chest. Blushing slightly, she whispered: “The leader seems to have found you.”

Edward chuckled and jumped out before returning to his normal size. The guild leader looked Edward up and down with surprise before saying: ”Edward Black. I didn’t expect the one the dragons are looking for to just walk into my office.”

There was no trace of malice in his eyes, only slight interest.

Edward bowed as well before saying: “I’m sorry to come like this, but my situation is quite delicate. I hope the leader won’t take it to heart.”

The leader nodded and motioned for them to take a seat before looking at Violet. “You told me you come from Ashes, but I never expect you to know the infamous Edward Black.”

Violet lowered her head and said nothing, prompting the leader to turn back towards Edward. “As for you, do you plan to eat us all, as that tree said?”

“Only the ones that stand against me. Does the leader know about the prophecy?”

The leader nodded and said:” Call me Apis, and yes, I do. I’ve even heard the so-called prophecy myself. Humans might have forgotten, but we demi-humans live quite a long time. Quite ironic for you to come here today.”

Edward frowned and said: “What is so special about today?”

Apis smiled and bent down to pick a fancy-looking letter. “I just got this letter this morning.”

Edward picked it up and took a quick look. It was a notification of an increase in the bounty from the dragon kingdom. More so, besides the hefty gold, there was even a dragon warrior as a tamed beast for the one who brought them, Edward.

Edward smiled wryly, “It appears they are quite mad after the mess I made in their home…”

Apis looked quite surprised as he asked: “Did you go into their dungeon?”

“Yes, I did. I even caused quite the chaos there before leaving. So, will you try to capture me as well?”

The leader remained silent for some time, just looking in Edward’s eyes without replying, before sighing and shaking his head: “I can’t say I’m not tempted, but making an enemy out of someone who even a god seems wary of doesn’t seem wise.”

“Now tell me, why did you come to see me?”

Edward nodded and said: “I’m going to use a large amount of magic to summon my water spirit and show you something.”

He then proceeded in using his entire mana pool to summon Azure into the room in her fish form. Apis looked at the small fish in confusion, not sure of what Edward was planning.

Azure’s body broke apart and a small spinning circle with a blue vortex in the middle floated out of her body as Edward asked: “Does the leader know what this is?”

Apis brought his head closer and frowned before asking: “Can I touch it?”

After Edward agreed, the leader gently touched the water source with his hand.

“It’s similar to my earth core, but at the same time, not…” muttered Apis before taking his hand back and looking at Edward. “What is this?”

“The way humans and demi-humans can gain strength independently of that god tree.”